Vane for rotary motors



May 27, 1941. A. H. SCHAEFER VANE FOR ROTARY MOTORS Filed April 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3nnentor C(ttomeg y 27, 1941. A. H. sc-HAEFER 2,243,684

VANE FOR ROTARY MOTORS Filed April 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

24 v ATTORNEYS.

f 0/ kid fz aiza'e er Patented May 27, 1941 warren STATES PATENT OFFHCE VANE FOR ROTARY MOTORS Alfred H. Schaefer, Rosedale, Md. Application April 29, 1940, Serial No. 332,387 9 Claims. (o1. 121-84) The present invention relates to an improved type of vane, for use in rotary engines, pumps, and similar apparatus.

The vane is particularly designed for use with an engine of the rotary type as shown and described in my Patent No. 1,921,782, dated. August 8, 1933, although it is not limited thereto.

The great problem confronting manufacturers of rotary pumps and engines has been the construction of a vane which will give maximum sealing and at the same time keep the friction between the rotating blades and the contacted side Walls to a minimum. It is, therefore, the purpose of the present inventionto construct a vane which will eliminate many of the objections now present in their use. 7

The primary object of the invention is to provide a vane, or slide,which will more emciently seal with the channel walls of the engine in which it is adapted for use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved construction in an expan sible vane which will retain its sealing properties with the channel over a long period.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an article which is practical and economical to manufacture.

While several objects of the invention have been specifically pointed out, other objects will be apparent from the description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part'of this application and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a rotary motor with parts removed to show internal structure similar to the one illustrated in Fig. of my above mentioned patent.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the outer edge of the improved vane showing the two tapered leaves.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary end view of the vane as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the vane taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the vane showing the expanding element taken along the line of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section of the casing and rotor taken along the line 88 of Fig. 1.

Referring in particular to the drawings, Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a rotary motor having its side plate removed in order to show diagrammatically the location and-function of the vanes as they are employed.

The present motor includes a stationary frame 2 which has provided within'its walls suitable voids 4 for the circulation of a cooling medium. The medium is supplied through the lower pipe 6 and is exhausted through the'upper pipe 8. The frame also has formed therein a compression chamber 44 and an explosion chamber i8.

Centrally located between the two chambers is a rotor III which is adapted to be supported and rotated uponsuitable bearings as shown in my above mentioned patent.

Secured to the outer frame 2 is a stationary crank shaft l2. The crank shaft has two oppositely disposed eccentric lbearings M and Hi. The rotor is provided with a plurality of slots, or guide ways, and 2|. Within these guide ways the vanes are adapted to operatel The vanes 35, 36, 31, and 38, are provided with bearings 24, and are connected with the eccentric bearings I4 and I5 bythe connecting rods 28, 29, 30, and 3|. Vanes 35 and 31 are connected with the bearing I4, and vanes 35 and 38 are connected with the bearing l5.

The motor is provided with a carburetor 42, or any well-known fuel injection means,'which is connected with the intake chamber 44 of the motor, and also an exhaust 46 which is connected with the exhaust chamber 48.

As-the rotor I0 is rotated, the vanes, when arranged and connected as above described, will move in and out of the guide ways 20 and 2| as will be later more fully discussed.

Referring now in particular to the construction of the vane, it is made into two principal parts, or leaves, 35 and 35". One of the leaves is provided with bearings 24 and 24' to which the respective connecting rods are attached. Although the bearing is shown located adjacent the ends of the vane, they may be located at any convenient place along the lower edge. It is not always necessary to use two bearings as onemay be equally as effective if of the proper size and location. The other leaf is secured to the leaf carrying the hearing by a clip, or extended lower edge member, 66, and the side plates and 6|.

The vane leaves have their adjoining contacting surfaces tapered as shown best in Figs. 2 to 7 inclusive. The taper of the leaf being such that the thickness of the vane remains uniform. In Fig. 2 the taper is shown to extend from one side of the vane to the other, and in Fig. '4 the taper is'shown' to'extend through the edges of the vane and lie within a plane passing through the edges thereof.

Adjacent the thicker ends of each of the leaves there are secured members 60 and GI. These members are adapted to seal the vane with the side walls of the motor chamber and are secured to the leaves in any lconvenient manner, they are shown, however, in the drawings as being pinned by the pins 63 and 63'. These members are of such width as to be slidably received within the guide ways 20 and 2!. It will be noted that these members do not extend all the way to the top of the vane, but are slightly shorter. A recess 65 and 65' in the thin edge of each of the leaves allows for the free lateral movement of the leaf. The bottom and top edges 51, 51', 61 and 61', of the recesses 65 and 65 is one of the means forretaining the two leaf members in their proper relationship. Also,

these edge surfaces are comparatively tight when the vane is in reciprocatory motion, and further aids in preventing leakage from passing through the joints of the vane.

In order to extend the vanes outwardly against the side walls of the motor chamber 44 and 48 there is provided an expansion unit as shown best in Figs. 3, 5, and 7, comprising plate members 68 and. 69. Between the members is a coil spring 10. The assembly is located within a recess 12 formed within the adjacent surfaces of the two leaf members 35 and 35-', and designated as 12' and 12". This recess is adapted to accommodate the expansion unit. The member 68 is adapted to contact the leaf member 35', and the member 69 is adapted to contact the leaf member 35". The member 68 isprovided with a small boss 13, and the member 69 is provided with a similarmember 13' which bosses are receivable within a pair ofrecesses 14 and 14' for retaining the said members'in proper position within the respective leaf members. The two members 68 and 69 are assembled in slidable relation with each other. The coil spring is inserted between the members 68 and 69 as shown best in Fig. 3, and exerts an outward pressure on these members which is in turn transferred to the leaf members urging them outwardly in opposite directions.

In operation the vane is assembled as described and properly installed in the motor as shown in Fig. 1. It will be noted-that the inner walls 44 and 48 of the motor casing are not concentric with the rotor but each half of the surface is concentric with the axis of the. adjacent crank bearing. Therefore, the line of contact along the edge of the vane between the vane and the outer wall when rotated by the rotor will change as the rotor moves the vane through the arc in which it is in contact with the outer wall surface. For this reason the vane is curvedto agreater degree than the surface it is designed to contact. The curvature always being of such a degree that the contact line between the vane and the outer wall will always intersect the diagonal joining line of the two tapered leaves, asillustrated in Fig. 4. The dotted lines a andb extendingupwardly represent the extreme ends ofthe diagonal leaf joining line.

the line of contact between the Vane and the outer wall.

The taper of the leaf running through the edge With this construction. there is an overlapping of the two leaves along ing members 60 and 6|. These side sealing members extend the full width of the guide ways and play a very important part in keeping the leaves in alignment.

This type vane is not only adaptable for this particular type engine but may be used in engines, pumps and other apparatus which utilize a vane of this general character. The vane may be designed for use with chambers of various curvatures. It is important, however, in adapting the vane to a specific curvature to always provide that th line of contact between the outer end of the vane and the wall falls within the extreme ends of the diagonal joining line between the tapered leaves. The vane will function equally as well on a surface having a constant curvature although it is especially adapted for use with varying curvatures.

While the invention has been described and illustrated in a particular form, it is not to be limited to the specific embodiment shown herein as the scope of th invention is best described in the following claims.

I claim:

l. A vane for rotary engines having an armated compression chamber and a rotor including a guideway in said rotor for receiving the vane, said vane comprising a pair of adjacent leaves adapted to slide within the guideway, said leaves having 'means at 'one edge thereof for moving the leaves within the guideway, andhaving their adjacent sides tapered laterally inopposite directions, the outer edge of the vane having a greater curvature than that of the said compression chamber and the taper of the leaves being such as to provide uniform thickness to the said vane throughout its area.

2. A vane for rotary enginesincluding a guide way for receiving the same, comprising a pair of adjacent leaves adapted to slide within a single guide Way, one of said leaves having means associated therewith for moving the said leaves within said guide way, the other said leaf having means thereon for interlocking the same with the first mentioned leaf, the said leaves having their adjacent surfaces tapered both laterally and longitudinally in opposite directions, the tapers being such as to provide uniform thickness throughout the said vane, means carried on each of said leaves for sealing the said leaves with the side wall toward which it is extended and means for urging each of the said leaves in opposite directions toward said side wall.

3. A vane for rotary engines including a guide way for receiving the same,- comprising a pair of adjacent leaves adapted to slide within a single guide way, one of said leaves having means connected therewith for moving the said leaves within said guide way, the other said leaf having means thereon for interlocking the same with the first mentioned sleeve, the said leaves having their adjacent surfaces tapered both laterally and longitudinally in opposite directions, the tapers being such as to provide a uniform thickness to the vane. r

a. A vane for rotary engines having a chamber including stationary side walls and an outer wall, and a rotatable inner wall having guide ways formed therein, said van comprising a pair of adjacent leaves adapted to slide within a single guide way, said leaves having means at one edge thereof for moving the leaves within said guideway, said leaves having their adjoining sides tapered laterally in opposite directions, the taper being-of such degree as to provide uniform thickness throughout the vane, side plates for slidably contacting said stationary side walls carried at each end of the vane by one of the said leaves, said side plates being of substantially the same thickness as the width of the said guide way.

5. In combination, a rotary engine including a chamber having an arcuated outer stationary wall, a pair of stationary side walls, a rotor the outer surface of which forms the inner wall of said chamber, said rotor having a plurality of radial guide ways extending through said inner wall, a vane slidably associated with each of said guide ways, means for operating said vane in and out of said guide ways to contact the outer walls through a predetermined arc during the cycle of the engine, each of said vanes being formed of two separate adjacent tapered leaves and slidably received within each of the said guide ways, and means for extending the leaf laterally in opposite directions, the adjoining line between the two tapered leaves forming a diagonal line along the outer edge of the said vane, the outer edge of the vane having a curvature greater than that of the inner surface of the outer chamber wall, the curvature of the edge of the vane and the degree of the taper of the leaves being such that th line of contact between the inner surface of the outer wall memher and the said vane will always intersect the diagonal line formed by the adjoining edges of the tapered leaves thereby providing an overlapping of the leaves along the contact line between the said vane and the outer wall insuring continuous contact between the two surfaces.

6. A vane for rotary pumps including an arcuated chamber, a rotor, and a guideway in the rotor for carrying the said vane, the vane comprising a pair of adjacent laterally tapered leaves adapted to slide within the said guideway, the outer edge of the vanes having a curvature greater than that of the inner surface of the outer wall of the chamber.

7. A vane for rotary pumps including an arcuated chamber, a rotor, and a guideway in the rotor for carrying the said vane, the vane comprising a pair of adjacent laterally tapered leaves adapted to slide within the said guideway, means for urging the leaf members laterally in opposite directions, means for operating the vanes within the guideways, the outer edge of the vanes having a curvature greater than that of the inner surface of the outer wall of the chamber.

8. A vane for rotary pumps including an arcuated chamber, a rotor, and guideways in said rotor for carrying the vane, said vane comprising a pair of adjacent laterally tapered leaves adapted to slide within a single guideway, means for operating the vanes within the guideway, the outer edge of the vane having a curvature greater than that of the inner surface of the outer wall of the compression chamber, the adjoining line between the two leaves running diagonally along the outer edge of the said vane, the curvature of the outer end of the vane and the degree of taper of the leaf member being such that the line of contact between the outer edge of the vane and the inner wall of the chamber will always intersect the adjoining line between the two tapered surfaces of the leaf members.

9. A vane for rotary pumps including an arcuated chamber, a rotor, and guideways for carrying the vane, said vanes comprising a pair of adjacent laterally tapered leaves adapted to slide within a single guideway, the outer edge of the vane having a curvature greater than that of the inner surface of the arcuated chamber, the adjoining line between the two leaves running diagonally along th outer edge of the said vanes, the curvature of the outer end of the vane and the degree of taper of the leaf members being such that the line of contact between the outer edge of the vane and the inner wall of the chamber will always intersect the diagonal line formed by the tapered edges of the leaf members, thereby providing a continuous contact between the vane and the inner surface of the outer wall of the chamber throughout its entire width.

ALFRED H. SCHAEFER. 

